We were lucky to catch up with Mk Rowins recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, MK thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
Family has always been extremely important to me so when I was deciding what to name my business I knew I wanted to incorporate some aspect of my family in the name. My great grandfather, four times over, on my maternal side was the first Governor of Alabama after the Civil War. I grew up with a painting of his home, Sweetwater Mansion, in our home. I now have that same painting hanging in my house as well as a statue from their garden. I have always been fascinated with that era and the history of my family on that side in particular so I decided to name my business Sweetwater Designs. It’s a little nod to my family and my Southern roots!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have always loved jewelry, I am my Mother’s daughter for sure! My great grandparents owned a jewelry store at one time so I have a number of very special pieces that have been passed down to me thru generations. My family has always gifted jewelry for special occasions and it’s fun to look back at my pieces and associate them with those special memories. Years ago when my sister in law was getting married I decided to make my own jewelry to wear to her wedding. I honestly had no idea what I was doing but I made 3 or 4 pieces that I ended up wearing. Fast forward to 2009, my family had just moved to Austin and a childhood friend was starting a small jewelry business. I was a stay at home Mom but was looking for something creative to do so I went to work part time for my friend. I feel in love with making jewelry so in 2014, with the encouragement of my sweet husband, I decided to start my own line and Sweetwater Designs was born! Ten years later I still love what I do! My collection is a unique combination of classic style with modern wearability. Each piece, including one of a kind and customized designs, is handmade in Austin using 14kt gold fill, sterling silver, semi-precious stones and pave diamonds. The fact that I design and make everything by hand is something I am very proud of!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Quality is one of the most important things to me when it comes to my designs. I want my pieces to last so I am very particular about the raw materials that I select. Every piece is made with longevity in mind. I have customers that are still wearing pieces they purchased from me when I started my business 10 years ago! I love seeing these pieces on my customers – these pieces are like old friends to me!
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Definitely social media! I have a love/hate relationship with it partially because there was no social media when I was growing up in the 80’s so it still seems very foreign to me. There’s been a definite learning curve and it’s always changing so I am still learning new things about it every day. Posting on a regular basis is important especially because of the ever changing algorithms. I know that social media gets me in front of people that I might never reach otherwise. I post a mix of things both related to my jewelry and my family/personal life. I want my customers to feel as if they “know” me. I think a personal connection is important, especially in the jewelry industry because jewelry is very personal, and social media is one way to connect if you cannot interact with someone in person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sweetwaterdesignsjewelry.com
- Instagram: @mkrowins
Image Credits
Cathy Sunu Photography
SPSportspics